Shipping-case.



R. J. STEWART.

' SHIPPING CASE. APPLICATION FILED APRJE, 1911, 1 1 1&1 57 PatentedSept; 8,1916% 3 SHEETS-SHEET l R. J. STEWART.

SHIPPING CASE.

APPLICATION FILED APR 5, 1911, l v, 1 1 1 O, 1 57 Patented Sept. 8,1914.

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R. J. STEWART.

SHIPPING CASE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 5, 1911. LIIQIW; Patented Sept. 8,1914.

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2. W 7 A a Z0 Z0 E'Mmtoz ROBERT J. srriwan'r, or MGUNT CLEMENS,iaronrsaii.

SHIPPING-CASE.

epecification of Letters Patent.

lPatented Sept. i lll.

Application filed April fi, 1911. Serial No. 618,990.

17 all h 0m it may concern I Be it known that 1, ROBERT J. STEWART,acitizen of the United States of America, residing at Mount Clemens, inthe county or 3; Macomb and State ofMichigan, have incover portionsraised; Fig. 4 shows a redry o goods;v slices, stationery,;. inpfact anyvented certain new and useful Improvements in Shipping-Cases, of whichthe following is a specification; reference being had therein to theaccompanyingdrawings.

This invention relates to packing or shipping cases, and it has for oneof its objects the provision of an article of this character which maybe built up from a single piece of sheet metal, and which possess greatrigidity.

The invention has "furthermore for its object the improved constructionof the blank from which the case is built, so. that a large number ofthese blanks may be stacked together to form a comparatively small pack-Further objects of the invention will hereinafter appear and beparticularly defined in the claims.

The invention has been clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawingsin which similar characters denote similar parts, and in which- Figure lis a perspective view of the blank from which the case is to be builtup, substantially in a series of successive steps which are shown in thenext following figures of-which Fig. 2 illustrates the blank with itsends raised; Fig. 8 shows the front in position; Fig. l illustrates theback and movable partition adapted for use in my improved case; Fig. 5is the case complete and closed: Fig. 6 is an edge view of a portion ofthe blank as a in Fig. 1, on an enlarged scale; F ig. T is a section online 7-7 of Fig. 1; Fig. 8 is a top-view of corner 3) of Fig. 3; Fig. 9is a horizontal section on line 9-9 of Fig. 3; Fig. 10 represents afractional top view of the corner '0 of Fig. 5; Fig. 11 is a verticalsection on line 11, 11 of Fig. 10; Fig. l is a vertical section on line12, 12 of Fig.- 5; Fig. 13 is a similar section on line 13. 13 of Fig.5; and Fig. 14 illustrates a modification of the interlock between apair of united case-sections.

The particular object of the present invention is: to provide a metallicshipping case or box. oi large sizegto. replace the woodencases-generally used for shipping bulky merchandise which is generallypacked in strong cases. My. improved case contains several advantageousfeatures not I {found in the cases in ordinary use, as for instance ithas greater strength in every way; it is lighter in weight, it ispractically sealed against damage by rain snow or dirt; it can be sentto the shipper in flat condition; it takes less outside room or spacefor the same cubic contents; it will not burn;

it permits goods to be packed so as to have an air-space all aroundthem, without mak ing any special provisions therefor; it is a one-piecedevice which does not require any screws nails, clips or otherextraneous fas tening means; it can be built up into b0X- form in lesstime than it takes to assemble a wooden case; and it can be repeatedlyused without requiring -new parts. It is, of course, evident that theconstruction of the metallic case must be in accordance with. itsgeneral dimensions and the purposes for which it is to be used, and Ihave illustrated in the accompanying drawings a three foot shipping casefor comparatively-heavy merchandise the strengthening ribs being sodisposed and interlocked that the case will sustain its handling duringtransit without danger of opening at its oints.

Referrin first to Fig. 1 it will be noted that the blank consists oi theseveral in closing members in one single unitary structure, as forinstance the bottom B, the front wall F, rear wall R, cover C,and'endwalls E E. The blank has a series of ribs 20 formed by crimpingthe sheet-metal along those lines substantially in the manner shown indetail in Fig. 7, the crimps being closed tightly together ,toconstitute practically a double-strength braceniember or rib againststrains which would tend to bend or buckle on lines parallel with theedge a (see Fig 1). Now, inasmuch as each of. the ribs 20 is cut at eachline 20 of the bend or junction between the adjacent sections C -R-B-F,it follows that these sections when bent into box-form as shown inFig.6,

the corners thus formed will naturally reblank-sections are then bentatright angles, both rib-ends will: becomeiwedgedg and .inter-..

locked-,; and F while there appears inn means forreventinsisreopening.cog: enlargingthe as s im.

enacts with ran 4 in a r the 1m to nels pe sec'f'ons 1 d over theside-cc of the he placed me Q and of l-sections when the latter are intheir vertical positions, and these parts may be locked together by tabs25 formed on the 1B'tll3t1-l36lll5 21 ot the sections and Fund adaptedto be passed throhgh slots in the end-sections :5) l3, and bent over theinner races thereoi as shown at 25 in. 9. Attention invited to the factthat in the present instance each end section (E, E) is provided withribs 2?, 28 formed in the same manner as above described, so that theend-sections will be eiiiciently braced.

ilk-leans are provided iior holding the several rib-crimps inclosedtogether condition, these means consisting preferably of por tionsof the ribs themselves as, for instance, is shown in Figs. 6 and l, inwhich a portion of the extreme rib-end is cut to form a lip mar l areadaned to 30 which may be bent sidewise into flat con.-

tact with the body of the section, after which the connection or jointis proof against being pulled apart by ordinary strains. The sameconstruction applies to the extreme ends of all the ribs of the device.

The end-sections E E, are provided with tabs 31 which, when the box isready to be closed, will be in position to pass through slots orapertures 32 (see Fi 4:) provided therefor in the side edges of thecover section (3, whereupon they may be bent around the cover edge asshown at 31 in Figs. 5 and 12, thus holding the cover down atsubstantially central points of its sideedges. The front edge of thecover is provided with slots 33 (see Figs. l, 10 and 11). to receive theprojecting ends 3% of the ribs of the front-wall section F, theorganization being such that these ends are in close contact with thehorizontal ribs of the cover, so that, if now the outermost edge ofthese projections are bent over the cover to pass overthe adjacent ribthereof, a very strong and close joint will be obtained along this frontedge, and the parts will also be interlocked against spreading of theribs.

.ie chautherein by channels or grooves as indicated riously described.inasmuch as i case, and that tacit. separate from each tions lO (see t)w placed into the case an progressively shown in liigs. 1 to 5 in-.

elusive of which 1 illustrates the blank substantially in its normal.condition. In 2 the endswzlls l1, E have been bent upwardly. Fig. showsthe front wall raised, lshows the double rear section (comprising therear wall it and cover C) also raised, the cover 0 being still open andpermitting access to' the interior of the case to clench the innertab-ends of the front and rear walls, and also to load the case withmerchandise, after which the cover may be bent down and locked by thetabs and 31 which constitute the final. closing devices. and may besoldered if desired, thus rendering the case proof against thieves.

As will be seen, the ribs for the case are provided while the inclosingwalls are in the blank form, thereby enabling the ribs of the stripwhich forms the front, bottom, rear and and cover walls to be made bycrimping the entire strip and not the sections sepa rately, the resultbeing that the ribs are formed at a minimum expense, the blank simplybeing made of a sufficiently greater width to provide the material forforming the ribs, and at the same time provide for a relative ribarrangement in which a series of ribs (those formed 'by the cutting of asingle rib of the strip) will, when the blank operation, not materiallyaffecting the general continuity in length of the series of ribs, sothat when the case is folded, there will practically be a rib continuousthroughout the four walls, these ribs acting to brace the case againstcollapsing in one direction, the bends or folds acting in this respectin the opposite direction.

Many changes may be made in the general organization or union betweenthe several members of my improved device with out departing from thespirit of the invention, particularly in the rib-formation and theinterlocking union between the adjacent members, and it is furthermoreunderstood that rib-projections similar to those on the' front wall Fmay be provided on all the ribs where a close and firm joint may bedeemed expedient, especially in connection.

with the ribs 27 of the ends sections E E, which may have projections 27adapted to pass through apertures as shown at r, in the adjacentsections R, F respectively.

I claim v 1. A packing case comprising a pair of foldable adjacent wallsections formed of a single piece of sheet metal, each of said sectionsbeing crimped to form closed-in ribs traversing both sections, said ribsbeing cut at the fold line, adjacent rib ends being moved out oflongitudinal alinement to permit folding of the sections with thecontinuity of the rib line of the folded sections substantiallymaintained.

2. A packing case having one or more of its inclosing Walls crimped toform inwardly-projecting ribs, means for holding said rib-crimps againstopening, and a partition plate having channeled side edges deof saidsections, said ribs being cut at the fold line, adjacent rib ends beingmoved out of longitudinal alinement to permit folding of the sectionsWithout materially afl'ecting the continuity of the rib line of thefolded sections, the edge of one end-section overlapping the margin ofthe opposite end-section, and means integral with the first namedsection for holding said sections in assembled position.

4. A packing case comprising alined adjacent wall and cover sect-ionsformed of a single piece of sheet-metal, each of said sections beingcrimped to form inward ribs traversing all of said sections, said ribsbeing cut at the fold line, adjacent rib ends being moved out oflongitudinal alinement to permit folding of the sections withoutmaterially aifectingthe continuity of. the rib line of the foldedsections, the margin of the cover-sectionoverlapping the edge of theopposite Wall-section and having slots, and tabs on said wall sectionpassing through said slots and bent over the cover section for holdingboth sections in locked position.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two Witnesses.

ROBERT J. STEWART.

Witnesses:

LEWIS E. FLANDERS, FRANK E; ERNST.

